Lewis hallock nash



2 Sheets-Sheet 1, NASH.

GAS ENGINE.

(No Model.)

. Patented Mar. 2, 1897.

THE NORRIS man; 60., Pnorauma. wAswNc'rou. o. z.

(No Model.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

L. H. NASH. GAS ENGINE.

Patented Mar. 2, 1897.

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UNITED STATES I PATENT OFFICE.

LEWIS HALLOCK NASH, OF SOUTH NORWALK, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THENATIONAL METER COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

GAS-ENGIN E.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 578,112, dated March 2,1897.

Application filed June 17, 1891. Serial No. 396,561. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, LEWIS HALLOCK NASH, of South Norwalk, in the countyof Fairfield and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Gas-Engines; and I do hereby declare the following to bea full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as willenable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and usethe same.

My present invention consists of certain novel parts and combinations ofparts constituting an improved gas-engine and parts of a gas-engine.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical section through agas-engine involving my present invention. Fig. 2 is a side view of theengine, partly in section, through the exhaust-valves. Fig. 3 is asimilar view from the opposite side, partly in section, through themixing and admission valves. Fig. 4 is an end view of the fly-wheel,showing parts of the governing device. Fig. 5 shows modification of apart of the governing device. I

I will now describe the construction of the engine shown in theaccompanying drawings, which contains in total combination all the novelfeatures of my present invention, each in one of the many forms in whichit may. be practically embodied, and that the form which I at presentprefer to employ.

2 is the base of the engine supporting the cylinders 3 and 3.

5 is a double-ended piston, one end, 5, working in the cylinder 3, andthe other end, 5, Working in the cylinder 3.

4 is a shaft set in suitable journals, about which the rocking arm 6oscillates. This rocking arm at one end is connected with the crank-pin8 by means of the link ,9.

10 is the power-shaft.

11 is a fiy-wheel.

12 is the weight of the governing device operated by centrifugal force,occupying a position determined by the speed of the engme.

14 and 14 are the clearance-spaces at the with the clearance-spaces 14,and 15 is a chamber connected with the clearance-spaces 14. 16 and 16are the valves controlling communication between the chambers 15 and the5 5 air and 15 and the air. Through the ports controlled by the valves16 and 16 the waste gases after combustion are exhausted, pass? ingthrough the ports 17 and 17 to the open air. These valves 16 and 16 areeach attached to a guide or stem 18 and 18, carried in guides 19 and 19and surrounded by springs 20 and 20, constantly operating to keep saidvalves down upon their seats. 21

is a crank-disk, to which the rods 22 and 22 are attached. The outerends of these rods travel in the guides 19 and 19 and alternately abutagainst the stems 18 and 18, forcing the valves 16 and 16 away fromtheir seats. I eccentric 39, attached to a stud 40, set in suitablebearings. This stud 40 carries the gearwheel 60, which meshes with thegear-wheel 42, of one-half its size, which is attached to the main shaft10.

Referring to Fig. 3, which is a side view of the engine from theopposite side, 27 and 27 are passages connecting, respectively, with theclearance-spaces 14 and 14, Fig. 1. 28 and 21 are valves set upon stems29.and 29, and constantly forced toward their seats by springs 30 and30. 31 and 31 are perforations through which atmospheric air may pass tothe valves 28 and 28 through the passages 27 and 27, when said valvesare raised 8 3 and there is a partial vacuum present in thepower-cylinder. 32 and 32 are valves provided with stems 34 and 34 andwith springs 33 and 33 constantly tending to force said valves on theirseats. The ends of the stems 9o 34 and 34 are provided with inclinedpieces 35 and 35. 36 is a rocking arm pivoted at 37. 38 and 38 are rodsconnected with said rocking arm 36 and alternately abutting against theinclined stem ends 35 and 35. 5 The ends of these rods are also shown inthe drawings as inclined, the inclination of the rods correspondingsubstantially with the inclination of the stem ends 35 and 35. Therocking arm 36 is connected with eccentric 23, attached to the stud 24,to which is attached the gear-wheel 25, meshing with the teeth of Thecrank-disk 21 is connected to an 70 the gear-wheel 26, of one-half itssize. Gearwheel 26 is connected with the main shaft 10 of the engine. 43is a rod carrying the fingers 44 and 44,radially projecting therefrom.The arms 38 and 38 respectively rest on the fingers 44 and 44*, and whenthe rod 43, carrying these fingers, turns in its bearings 45 and 45 theends of the rods 38 and 38 are more or less raised, so that they soonerstrike against the beveled stem ends 35 and 35 and remain in contacttherewith for a longer period of time, thus holding the valves 32 and 32open a longer or shorter time. The openings 46 and 46 communicate with asuitable reservoir containing gas or other fuel, the admission of whichto the power-cylinders is thus controlled. The shaft 43 is byanysuitable mechanism attached to the governor de- Vice.

Fig. 4 shows one form of connecting mechanism which maybe employed. 47is asleeve sliding along the power-shaft 10, in or out, to a positioncorresponding with the position of the governor-weight 12 by connectioncommon in engines. The sleeve 47 is connected with the shaft 43 bybell-crank lever 49 and link 48. On the end of the bell-crank lever is apin 50, working in a groove on the sleeve 47. By this connection theposition of the rod 43 and its fingers 44 and 44 is determined, and bysaid fingers the elevation of the ends of the rods 38 and 38" iscontrolled.

The operation of the engine illustrated may thus be described: Theengine shown is of what is commonly known as the four-cycle type. Inthese engines an explosion occurs in the power-cylinder at one stroke,the waste gases are discharged at the next stroke, the new charge isdrawn in on the following stroke, and the charge is compressed by thelast stroke. In this type of engine as heretofore constructed there hasbeen but one impulse at every double revolution of the crank. In theengine illustrated, however, although of the four-cycle type having asingle crank, there is an impulse at every revolution of the crank.

Referring to Fig. 3, gas is admitted through the opening 46 46 and airthrough the perforations 31 and 31. lVhenever there is a partial vacuumwithin one of the power-cylinders caused by the motion of the pistonafter exhaustion, the valve 28 or 28 will rise from its seat, permittingair to be drawn into the corresponding cylinder through the port 31 or31. At the same time the rod 38 or 38 forces the corresponding gas-inletvalve 32 or 32 open, permitting gases to be drawn in with the air,forming a combustible mixture. As the piston returns this valve isclosed and the charge compressed. Explosion of the combustible chargethen takes place by any suitable form of igniting device. I have notshown an igniter because it forms no part of my present invention, andseveral efficient forms are well known to those skilled As the pistonafter explosion rein this art.

turns the exhaust-valve 16 or 16 is opened, and the waste gases areforced therethrough and through the port 17 or 17 to the air, theseexhaust-valves being controlled by the crank-disk 21. A consideration ofthe construction will show that these operations occur alternately inthe cylinders 3 and 3, so that while the cylinder 3 is compressing itscharge the cylinder 3 is exhausting, and while the cylinder 3 isexploding the cylinder 3 is drawing in a new charge, and while thecylinder 3 is exhausting the cylinder 3 is compressing, and while thecylinder 3 is drawing in a new charge the eylinder3is exploding. Thus itwill be seen that the explosions occur alternately and that there is anexplosion for every revolution of the crank.

In Fig. 3 I have shown the inclinations of the stem ends 35 and 35 andthe rod ends 38 and 38 the same, so that assuming that the fingers 44and 44 be of the same length and similarly set both cylinders will atall times work under the same conditions, both increasing and decreasingin power simultaneously. Instead of so arranging, however, these ports Imay, and indeed I prefer to, arrange them so that the cylinders willincrease and diminish power unequally, and this in any desiredproportion or relation. One means of accomplishing this result is shownin Fig. 5. In this figure the stem end 35 is substantially like the stemend 35 in Fig. 3. The rod end 38 in Fig. 5, however, is changed, so thatwhen it has fallen a certain distance it no longer makes connection withthe stem end 35", and thus the cylinder 3 is thrown out of work. Thestem end 35 is formed with a vertical part above the tapered part, andthe rod end 38, connecting therewith, has a vertical part below thetapering part, so that as the rod end 38 falls it continues for a longtime to open the valve 32 wide, so that the cylinder 3 receives a fullcharge; but when the tapering part of the rod 38 comes in contact withthe tapering part of the stem end 35 the rise and fall of the rod 38will increase or diminish the charge under which the cylinder 3 isworking. If these parts be properly proportioned, therefore, thecylinder 3 will continue to receive a full charge while the cylinder 3is receiving a diminished charge. This condition may continue until theengine is working under one-half load, when the cylinder 3 is entirelythrown off and all the work is being done by the cylinder 3. If it isdesirable to further diminish the power of the engine, the depression ofthe end of the rod 38 accomplishes this, as at that time the inclinedends of these parts are in contact, and any change of position of therod affects the charge delivered to said cylinder. The advantage of thisarrangement, among other things, is that a more economical consumptionof the fuel is obtained because one of the cylinders is always workingwith full charge whenever, preferably, the engine is working athalf-load or more. This feature of my invention is applicable not onlyto fourcycle engines, but also to any form of doubleacting ortwo-cylinder engines operated by any suitable motive power. Any otherarrangement of parts may be employed which will cause the cylinder toincrease or diminish power at different rates or at different times inany desired manner, as will be readily understood.

Referring to Fig. 1, it will be seen that the crank-pin and itsconnections are moving toward the left while the piston and itsconnections are moving toward the right. The movement of these parts inopposite directions simultaneously balance one another,and assuming thatthey are the same weight no momentum is communicated to the support ofthe engine, or if they be of different weights the momentum communicatedis only that due to the difference. As gas-engines are very frequentlyplaced in upper stories of buildings, this feature in a horizontalengine is of great value and materially extends the usefulness of thedevice.

In the foregoing specification I have incidentall y referred to a few ofthe modifications which might be adopted in practicing my invention, butI have not endeavored to specify all the modifications which might beemployed, the object of this specification being to instruct personsskilled in the art to practice the several novel features of myinvention in their present preferred forms and to enable them tounderstand their nature, and I desire it to be distinctly understoodthat mention by me of a few modifications is not in any way intended toexclude others not referred to, but which are within the spirit andscope of my invention, and that in so far as my invention consists ofnovel methods these are independent of the mechanism described or of anyparticular mechanism.

AsI have before remarked,many of the combinations and detailsillustrated and above described are not essential to the severalfeatures of my invention separately and broadly considered. All thiswill be indicated in the concluding claims, as in any given claim theomission of an element or of the particular features of the elementsmentioned is intended to be a formal declaration of the fact that theomitted elements and features are not essential to the invention thereincovered.

Having thus described a machine embodying in preferred forms all theseveral features of my present invention in combination what Iseparately claim, and desire to secure by these Letters Patent, is thefollowing:

1. In a gas-engine the combination of a plurality of power-cylinderswith their respective pistons, a governor and mechanism operated by saidgovernor for automatically varying the power developed when bothcylinders are in action by changing the power developed in one cylinderwithout changing the power developed in another.

2. In a gas-engine,the combination of a plurality of power-cylinderswith their respective pistons, a governor and mechanism operated by saidgovernor for automatically varying the power developed when bothcylinders are in action by changing the power developed in one cylinderthroughout its entire range without changing the power developed in theother.

3. In a gas-engine the combination of a plurality of power-cylinderswith their respective pistons, a governor for automatically controllingthe power developed in a plurality of said cylinders and mechanismoperated thereby for varying the power developed in the differentcylinders successively and not simultaneously.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

LEWIS I-IALLOOK NASH.

lVitnesses:

JOHN H. NORRIS, GEORGE A. MAYLAND.

